Sensitive detection of low doses of beta particles using quartz crystal oscillators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12239474-B1
Application number	US-202418767749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2024
Priority date	Jul 9, 2024
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A method of determining beta radiation intensity based on calculated resonance frequency and calculated quality factor can include providing an electrical sensor comprising at least one prong, irradiating the first composite material of the one of the plurality of planar surfaces and the material of the second section with beta radiation from a beta radiation source; measuring at least one impedance value from the electrical sensor with an impedance analyzer; calculating at least one resonance frequency value based on the measured at least one impedance value; calculating at least one quality factor value based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value; and determining the beta radiation intensity based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value and the calculated at least one quality factor value.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising:
an electrical sensor comprising at least one prong and a cylindrical substrate, the at least one prong comprising a first section and a second section, the first section comprising a plurality of planar surfaces, each of the plurality of planar surfaces having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the plurality of planar surfaces being connected to the cylindrical substrate, and the second end of each of the plurality of planar surfaces being connected to the second section, wherein each of the plurality of planar surfaces comprises a first material, one of the plurality of planar surfaces is coated with a second material to form a first composite material, and wherein the first composite material is different from a material of the second section;
a beta radiation source configured to irradiate the first composite material of the one of the plurality of planar surfaces and the material of the second section with beta radiation;
an impedance analyzer configured to measure at least one impedance value from the electrical sensor; and
a data acquisition device configured to:
calculate at least one resonance frequency value based on the measured at least one impedance value; and
calculate at least one quality factor value based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical sensor comprises a quartz tuning fork.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material comprise quartz and silver, respectively.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material of the second section comprises the first material.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material of the second section comprises the first material, which is coated with a third material to form a second composite material.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the third material comprises an aluminum film.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beta radiation source comprises a strontium-90 beta radiation source.

8. A method of determining an intensity of beta radiation based on a calculated resonance frequency and a calculated quality factor comprising:
providing an electrical sensor comprising at least one prong and a cylindrical substrate, the at least one prong comprising a first section and a second section, the first section comprising a plurality of planar surfaces, each of the plurality of planar surfaces having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the plurality of planar surfaces being connected to the cylindrical substrate, and the second end of each of the plurality of planar surfaces being connected to the second section, wherein each of the plurality of planar surfaces comprises a first material, one of the plurality of planar surfaces is coated with a second material to form a first composite material, and wherein the first composite material is different from a material of the second section;
irradiating the first composite material of the one of the plurality of planar surfaces and the material of the second section with beta radiation from a beta radiation source;
measuring at least one impedance value from the electrical sensor with an impedance analyzer;
calculating at least one resonance frequency value based on the measured at least one impedance value;
calculating at least one quality factor value based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value; and
determining the intensity of beta radiation based on the calculated at least one resonance frequency value and the calculated at least one quality factor value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first material and the second material comprise quartz and silver, respectively.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the material of the second section comprises the first material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one resonance frequency value comprises a range of about 32.9567 kHz to about 32.9922 kHz.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the material of the second section comprises the first material, which is coated with a third material to form a second composite material.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third material comprises an aluminum film.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one resonance frequency value comprises a range of about 32.9567 kHz to about 33.0162 kHz.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the beta radiation source comprises a strontium-90 beta radiation source.

Assignees

• Univ King Saud

Inventors

• Alodhayb Abdullah Nasser
• Alanazi Nadyah Layeh
• Albrithen Hamad
• Dawood Saad Abdulaziz
• Ramamoorthy Muthumare Eswaran Muthu
• Shamma Khaled Zouher
• Alshereef Saja Hamed

Classifications

• G01N23/06

  and measuring the absorption · CPC title

• H03H9/215

  consisting of quartz · CPC title

• A61B6/4258 Primary

  for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation (A61B6/037 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01T1/16

  Measuring radiation intensity (G01T1/29 takes precedence {; self-powered detectors G01T3/006; using an ionisation chamber filled with a liquid or solid, e.g. frozen liquid, dielectric G01T3/008}) · CPC title

• A61B6/037

  Emission tomography · CPC title